Automatic brake-block.



No. 659,629. Patented Oct. 9, I900.

w. H. sAuvAaE. AUTOMATIC BRAKE BLOCK.

(Application filed Feb. 5, 1900.)

(N0 Modal.)

TN: Norms PETERS co.. PHnYo-u'mm, WASHINGTON, n. a.

with SAES WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO HENRY NElVTON WVOOD AND CHARLES C. WELOH,

OF SAME PLAOE.

AUTOMATIC BRAKE-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 659,629, dated October 9, 1900. Application filed February 5, 1900. Serial No. 3,951. (No model.)

T0 all whom it ritcty concern-.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Brake-Blocks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic brake-blocks; and it consists of the features hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved device, all the parts being assembled, the position of the shoe when the brake is applied being shown in dotted lines. 2 is a side elevation of the shoe shown in detail. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the brake-head on the line X X, Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a front view of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the roller.

Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts in the views, let the numeral 5 designate the brake-head, which is mounted upon the brake-beam 6, being secured thereto by a bolt 7 passing through registering apertures formed in the beam and a rearwardly projecting lug 5 formed on the head. The head is also provided with recesses 5, extending above the bottom and located in front of the lug. This recess is adapted to receive the lower extremity of the supporting-link S, which is held in place by the beam 6, since the latter passes beneath the link and closes the recess from below when the head is applied to the beam. (See Fig. 1.)

The brake-head is centrally grooved longitudinally, as shown at 9. In the extremities of this groove are located cushions 10, which are held in place by tongues 12, formed on the inner walls of the groove. These cushions are preferably composed of rubber.

From the recess 5 to the top of the lower cushion the back of the head is open, as shown at 9", to permit the automatic escape of dirt or foreign substances which may have found their way into the groove. Centrally located and extending transversely of the groove 9 is a stop 13. Adjacent this stop the walls of the head are provided with recesses 14. open in front'to receive an antifrictional roller 15, which protrudes from the face of the head to engage a rearwardly-inclined face 16, formed on the shoe 17, which is provided with a lug 18, located at the lower extremity of said face, and a hook-shaped lug 19, located above the said inclined face. The lug 19 engages the stop 13 when the shoe is in its normal position or that shown by full lines, Fig. 1. When the shoe is in the normal or inactive position, the lug 18 rests upon the lower cushion 10 of the brake-head. The lower extremity of the shoe is also provided with a rearwardly-inclined face 20, adapted to engage a counterpart face 5 ,formed on the lower extremity of the head. The two faces 16 and 20 of the shoe cooperate to cause the rear face of the shoe to maintain 'a position parallel with the front face of the head during the travel of the shoe in the performance of its function, as hereinafter explained. The lower face of the upper cushion 10 is beveled, as shown at 10, to engage the curved upper face of the lug 19 when the shoe is at its upward limit of movement, whereby there is a tendency on the part of the cushion to throw the shoe outwardly, giving a steadying efiect thereto. This feature cooperates with the faces 16 and 20 to maintain the parallelism of the shoe and head when the brake is applied, whereby all tendency on the part of the shoe to shudder or quiver is obviated or overcome. The shoe is provided with the ordinary hooks 21, adapted to engage the flange of the carwheel. (Notshown.)

In the operation of my improved brakeblock it is only necessary to move the brakebeam toward the tread of' the wheel (not shown) until the shoe is brought in contact therewith, it being assumed that the wheel is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The friction'between the shoe and the wheel will carry the shoe upward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the shoe being forced against the tread of the wheel by the wedging action which is the result of the inclined faces 16 and 20, formed on the shoe, and the engaging parts of the head. Hence the applying of the brake after the shoe is brought in contact with the tread of the wheel is purely automatic. As soon as the operating force applied to the beam 6 is released or ceases to act the shoe falls by gravity to its original position and the brake is released. The cushions 10 of the head engage the lugs 19 and 18,.respectively, when the shoe is at its limits of upward and downward movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an automatic brake-block the combination with a suitable support, of a head,

- and a shoe movable thereon, the head being grooved longitudinally and provided with a cushion at each extremity of the groove, the shoe being provided with two separated lugs which enter the groove of the head and respectively engage the cushions of the head as the shoe reachesits limits of upward and downward movement, the said groove being open at the rear to permit the escape of dirt or other foreign material or substances, and suitable means for forcing the shoe against the tread of the wheel automatically as the shoe is actuated by the frictional qonl a ii Q the wheel.

2. An automatic brake-block comprising a head, and a shoe movable thereon, the head being grooved longitudinally and provided with a cushion at each extremity of the groove, the shoe being provided with two separated lugs which enter the groove of the head and respectively engage the cushions of the head as the shoe reaches its limits of upward and downward movement, and means for forcing the shoe against the tread of the wheel automatically as the wheel actuates the shoe by frictional engagement.

' 3. The combination of a brake-head and a shoe movable thereon, the head being grooved longitudinally and provided with a cushion at each extremity of the groove, the shoe being provided with two separated lugs which enter the groove of the head and respectively. engage the cushions of the head as the shoe reaches its limits of upward and downward movement, the groove of the head being open at the rear, one of the said members being provided with an inclined face and the other with a suitable bearing to engage said face,

whereby the shoe is forced against the tread of the wheel automatically as the shoe is actuated by the frictional contact of the wheel.

4. The combination of a brake-head and a shoe movable thereon, the head being grooved longitudinally and provided with a cushion at each extremity of the groove, the shoe being provided with two separated lugs which enter the groove of the head and respectively engage the cushions of the head as the shoe reaches its limits of upward and downward movement, the groove of the shoe being open at the rear, one of the said members being provided with two separated inclinedfaces and the other with bearings engaging said faces, whereby as the shoe is actuated by the frictional contact of the wheel the shoe is forced against the tread of the wheel automatically.

5. The combination of a brake-head and a shoe movable thereon, the head having a. groove open at the rear, one of the said members being provided with two separated inclined faces and the other with bearings engaging said faces, the two inclined faces being arranged to act simultaneously to force the shoe against the tread of the wheel automatically.

6. The combination of a brake-head grooved to receive the shoe which is provided with two separated lugs adapted to enter the groove, the upper lug being hook-shaped, a stop located in the groove of the head and arranged to be engaged by the hooked lug of the shoe when the latter is at its downward limit of movement, an inclined face formed between -the two lugs 'ofthe shoe and a similar inclined face formed on the lower extremity of the shoe, the head being provided with bearings to engage said inclined faces whereby as the shoe is actuated it is forced against the tread of the wheel automatically.

7. The combination ofa brake-head grooved to receive the shoe which is provided with two separated lugs adapted to enter the groove, the upper lug being hook-shaped, a stop located in the groove of the head and arranged to be engaged by the hooked lug of the shoe when the latter is at the downward limit of movement, an inclined'face formed between the two lugs of the shoe and a similar inclined face formed on the lower extremity of the shoe, the head being provided with hearings to engage said inclined faces, the shoe being provided with cushions located respectively above the one lug and below the other lug, and arranged to engage the lugs when the shoe is at its limits of upward and downward movement.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

Witnesses:

GRACE MYTINGER, A. J. OBRIEN. 

